Happy spring! Even though it doesn't quite feel like it here in Northern Virginia, spring must be coming. Yesterday Neil brought in a bouquet of daffodils from the yard. They are a bright, happy center of focus as we await warmer days. 

     This ADHD Hint email is the fifth in the series I'm calling "Establishing the Foundation for Thriving with ADHD."

Today's Hint is about a challenging and, for some, controversial topic -- 

The foundational issue for anyone taking medication for ADHD involves taking the medication as prescribed while being alert to the effects it is having. Is the medication helping, and if so, how? Are there side effects?

It might help to keep at least a rough record of the medication's effects under various conditions. Those records will help the prescribing doctor in adjusting the medications and doses, if necessary.  

    This source is one you might want to check out soon. I was notified by email yesterday that they have reduced the price of the first video in their five-part series, "ADHD Medications: Straight Answers to Big Questions." The sale price is $7, whereas it regularly sells for $19.99. They describe the video on this website where you can also place your order. I don't know how long the sale will last. 

    The National Resource Center on ADHD (NRC) is a recognized and trusted source of information. This link is to a page on their site that offers a chart of the many medications available for treating ADHD. It's an excellent resource, as is the entire Resource Center.

    Here's another article from the NRC site, this one about managing ADHD medications. 

    Understood.org offers a wealth of information on a wide range of issues related to learning and attention disorders. This very current article addresses the controversy surrounding the new Netflix movie, "Take Your Pills." 

    And this article from last August reports on research that found that taking ADHD medication reduces the risk of drug abuse in folks with ADHD. 

    My search of Understood.org using the phrase "ADHD medication" brought up over 800 hits. If you have other questions, there seems to be strong likelihood that some answers could be found there. 

    A search on the site of the Child Mind Institute elicited several pages of articles on "ADHD medication."

    The first article that came up in my search is entitled, "What we know about the long-term effects of ADHD medication - and what we don't know." 

    Another article is called "The Side Effects of ADHD Medication." 

    Not surprisingly, entering the search phrase "ADHD medication" on the ADDitude Magazine website resulted in over 2,000 hits.

    One that addresses adult ADHD is called "4 Steps to Successful ADHD Treatment for Adults." This article also speaks to the issue of abuse of ADHD meds, especially in individuals with a history of substance abuse. 

    Another article discusses several popular "alternative" treatments for ADHD and their possible benefits. 

I hope the sites listed above provide good starting points for any investigating you might want to do on the topic of ADHD medications. 

One thing we in the coaching profession know is that "Pills don't teach skills." To learn skills you might want to turn to a well-trained and credentialed ADHD coach. Here are a couple of criteria to use in finding a coach: look for a coach trained by the ADD Coach Academy who is also credentialed by the International Coach Federation (ICF) and the Professional Association of ADHD Coaches (PAAC).

If you'd like to chat about how coaching could help you or a friend or loved one, I invite you to schedule with me a 30-minute free introductory conversation.

PS - If you missed the first four emails in the series, you can find them through this link. The topics previously covered were sleep, exercise, connection, and play. Yet to come will be hints about the importance of nutrition and spending time in nature.

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